Stranded metals and metal alloys (e.g., stranded cables and wires) find a wide variety of applications. Particularly, stranded aluminum and aluminum alloys find a wide variety of applications due to their favorable combination of electrical conductivity properties and mechanical properties, including strength-to-weight ratio, low temperature (cryogenic) properties, corrosion resistance and notch toughness.
The challenge with stranded aluminum and aluminum alloys is joining (by welding) the stranded cables or wires to one another and/or to a connector. During a welding operation (e.g., resistive welding), individual strands of the cable or wire may not consistently liquefy to form a solid welded workpiece. For example, strands located proximate the periphery of the cable or wire may liquefy; while strands located proximate the center of the cable or wire may not liquefy sufficiently to form a suitably solid weld. In order to sufficiently liquefy strands proximate the center of the cable or wire, the strands located proximate the periphery of the cable or wire may tend to burn and the whole welded assembly may tend to stick to the weld electrodes.
Accordingly, those skilled in the art continue with research and development efforts in the field of welding stranded metals and metal alloys.